Universal Human Values 1: Self

and Family(M1)

P. K. Jha
 Chapter-1
Motivation and Objectives of Human Values Course, Introduction to the objectives of the
course. Content and process of the course including mode of conduct. Daily life as lab for the
course. Activities in the course.

P. K. Jha
P. K. Jha
Human Value helps in

Acquiring happiness
Building relationship(self, family, Society)
Understanding stress
Command work & life with ease

4
The main objectives of Human Values are as under : (i) To create awareness, conviction & commitment to
values for improving the quality of life through education, and for advancing social and human well
being.
Human values are defined as those values which help man to live in harmony with the world.

Course Objectives:
• To help the student to see the need for developing a holistic perspective of life.
• To sensitize the student about the scope of life – individual, family (inter-personal relationship), society and
nature/existence
• Strengthening self-reflection.
• To develop more confidence and commitment to understand, learn and act accordingly.

goals to help newly joined students to:

•Become familiar with the ethos and culture of the institution. (based on institutional culture and practices)
•Set a healthy daily routine, create bonding in batch as well as between faculty members and students.
•Get an exposure to a holistic vision of life, develop awareness, sensitivity and understanding of the
Self-family-Society-Nation-International-Entire Nature.
•Facilitate them in creating new bonds with peers and seniors who accompany them through their college life and beyond.
•Overcome weaknesses in some essential professional skills – only for those who need it (e.g. Mathematics, Language
proficiency modules)

P. K. Jha
Content of Value Education
The value of an entity is its participation in the larger order of which it is a part.
The context is always the larger order. Value has to do with the participation of a unit in the larger order. E.g. a piece of chalk is a unit. The classroom is the
larger order for this unit. The value of chalk is that it can be used to write on the blackboard for the desired functioning of the classroom. The value or role
of a human being is its participation in the larger order. E.g. my role in living with the other human being is to ensure the feeling of respect in the
relationship. Interestingly, I feel happy in fulfilling my role; and it is fulfilling for the other as well! This value is worth understanding, worth thinking about,
worth living. The value of human being is to ensure mutual fulfilment in the larger order1 , i.e. in the entire nature/existence, but starting from within
themselves, then extending in their family and in the society.
Hence, to understand human values, we need to study the human reality along with all that is there in the entire nature/existence which
constitutes the larger order. We need to explore and understand things as they are; so that we are able to recognise and fulfil our
participation with them.
That means the content or scope of study has to be all encompassing, i.e.
• It has to cover all dimensions of human being – thought, behaviour, work and realisation.
• It has to cover all levels of human living – individual, family, society, nature and existence.
Accordingly, the content of Value Education has to be to understand human being, human aspirations, happiness; understand the goal
of human life comprehensively; understand the other entities in nature, the innate inter-connectedness, the harmony in the
nature/existence and finally the role of human being in this nature/existence. Continuous Happiness and Prosperity as Basic Human
Aspirations Whatever we think, whatever we do is with some end state in mind. That end state is our basic aspiration.
When you ask yourself:
• Do I want to be happy?
• Do I want to be prosperous?
• Do I want the continuity of happiness and prosperity?
The answers are in affirmative yes. We have a natural acceptance for continuity of happiness and prosperity. These are our ba sic
aspirations.

P. K. Jha
Process of Value Education –
Self-exploration Human Values can be understood by an appropriate process of self-discovery, because they are
potentially there in each and every human being. There is already a natural acceptance for values in a human being. It is
only that we have to discover them or become aware of them. Thus, the process for Value Education has to be that of
self-exploration, and not of giving sermons or telling dos & don'ts. Whatever is found as truth or reality may be stated as
a proposal and every student is to be encouraged to verify it on his/her own right.
You can check if you want to be able to decide on your own right or you want somebody else to decide for you? This
somebody may be a group of people; it may be the society or the education system, etc.
If you are not able to decide on your own right then:
• Someone else is programming you (deciding what is valuable and what is not valuable for you)
• Unconsciously you keep accepting those things as values
• You get busy with how to implement them, how to realise them and materialise them
This process of Self-exploration has to be in the form of a dialogue – a dialogue between the teacher and student to
begin with; and finally, within the student – between ‘what I am’ and ‘what I really want to be’, which is the innate
natural acceptance.

P. K. Jha
What is Self-exploration?
It is a process of seeing the reality on our own right, by our own investigation, observation and analysis. Through this proc ess, we are
trying to understand the reality that exists and our participation with it; this participation is what we are calling values. The first step is to
verify the given proposal on your own right, by referring it to your ‘natural acceptance’. If the proposal is naturally acceptable to you, it is
right for you.
If it is not naturally acceptable to you, it is not right for you. Further, self-exploration is a process of dialogue. To begin with, it is initiated
as a dialogue between us and you. This course systematically presents a series of proposals for your exploration. As you expl ore, you try
to verify the proposals and start asking these questions to yourself. Then, it turns into a dialogue within your own Self.
The Dialogue Within
It is a dialogue between “what I am” and “what is naturally acceptable to me”.
“What I am” has to do with my desires, my thoughts, my expectations; all that is going on in my imagination. It includes the way I feel,
the way I think, how I make decisions, what I expect from others and all that. It is my current competence on the basis of wh ich I live.
“What is naturally acceptable to me” is what I really want to be, that is my natural acceptance. It is my intention. It is a basic reference
which is a part and parcel of every human being. We may or may not be referring to it at present, but it is always there. Whe n we are in
harmony within, we are in state of happiness. When we are in a state of contradiction within, we are in the state of unhappin ess.
Therefore:
Happiness is to be in a state of harmony.
Unhappiness is to be forced to be in a state of contradiction.
We don't want to be in contradiction, so whenever there is contradiction, we want to run away from it; but if we cannot run a way, and if
we are forced to be in that state, we call it unhappiness.
It is possible for each one of us to do this self-exploration. The dialogue within constitutes the major part of it. Through this, we:
1.Discover our natural acceptance
2. Become aware of “what I am”
3. Can make effort to ensure harmony and happiness within by ensuring that “what I am” is in line with my natural acceptance.
P. K. Jha
Need for human values in our society
Now a day one faces Problems in our day today life at various levels as shown below:
1.Individual Level- we find problems of depression, anxiety, suicides, stress, insecurity and increasing health problems etc. 2.Family
Level- We find breaking of joint families, mistrust, disharmony, divorce and negligence of older people.
3.Society Level- Growing incidents of terrorism, violence, communalism, corruption and quarrels.
4.Environmental Level- One find global warming, weather imbalance, deforestation etc.
Therefore there is an urgent need of rectifying the situation through ‗Right Understanding‟ among all human beings and to be acquainted
with the methods of spreading knowledge of human values to everyone.
A.THE HUMAN VALUES IN EDUCATION :-The human values in education based on the learning concept perceived through Self Assessment
and Exploration. Self Assessment and Intuition, needs to gain wide acceptance around the world. The students as well as the t eachers can
be benefited greatly from this unique method of teaching and learning experience of Education in Human Values. The current ed ucation
system only focuses on the one or two aspects of personality in the teachings while education in human values incorporates al l the aspects
of human being‘s personality development which is required today in bringing out the potential latent in each individual. In most education
systems, individuals are imparted such an education that makes them the tools to achieve prosperity in this materialistic world i.e fit to the
present market scenario and not a human being having, Right Understanding and Harmony with rest of the world. By adopting the human
value education approach with the right teaching techniques, it can be proven that it is possible to create a balanced indivi dual and society.
We find the values today confined to a narrow frame work while there is a need to connect it to all the levels of human exist ence i.e Self,
Family, Society and Nature. A systematic approach to teach human values to students is to be promoted. Human values are neces sary in
today's Education system that can foster character building by incorporating basic universal human values. This paper outlines the human
values at every organization and at every post/designation and by promoting good human values worldwide. Human beings with va lues
and fulfilled aspiration will feel stress free and thus the work performance will ultimately increase. This education in huma n values
programme will help teachers, parents and children to focus on the basic positive values i.e Right Understanding, Human Happiness and
Prosperity which will be achieved by Value based Education program incorporated with employability through motivated value skills and
human values to heighten awareness of the values of humankind and also to promote them.
P. K. Jha
B. SELF DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SELF ASSESMENT :The human beings aspire for a happy life, with full of success. For this it is essential to understand – What is
really valuable for human beings and how to realize - This is the domain of Skills‘ and better Self development refers to self exploration which includes
Understanding skills, attitudes and knowledge. This is an ongoing, systematic and intentional process which is achieved through Right Understanding ,
knowledge, skills and attitudes which enhance confidence in oneself towards one‘s future plan. It also creates a better quality of life physically, mentally and
spiritually. The value of a human being is his participation in maintaining the harmony with the society. Accordingly Value Education is to understand oneself,
one‘s aspirations, and one‘s happiness and to understand the innate interconnectedness of his existence with that of the others. And this is better done by the
Self Assesment skill Process. Therefore there is an essential complementarily between ‗Values‘ and ‗Skills‘. Self Assessment ‗ According to the Hillman (1994)
„Self assessment is the process of evaluating person against a model for continuous improvement, in order to highlight what has been achieved and what
needs to improve‟. A Systematic research needs to be performed for better understanding and supporting individual self development.

C. SELF DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SELF EXPLORATION:- This paper incorporates a theory that indicates that people in all cultures recognize the
dynamics of conflict among all the values. It aims to be a unifying theory for the field of human motivation, a way of organizing the different needs, motives,
and goals proposed by other theories. One of which is Self Exploration Theory (SET) empirically based on the theory of human motivation, assessment and
development. The theory focuses on types, rather than just amount, of motivation, paying particular attention to a controlled motivation that addresses the
social conditions which enhances a basic human psychological aspiration, competence. This examines people's life goals or aspirations, showing different
relations of intrinsic versus extrinsic life goals to individual performance and psychological health. Human Being aspires self developments that highlight the
applicability of Self Exploration Theory (SET) in almost all the fields of human existence that covers work, relationships, parenting, education, virtual
environments, sport, health care, and universalism. To have a sound knowledge of ‗Self-exploration‘ we should know the Contents of Selfexploration i.e Desire
and Program. Basically this refers to know oneself. The process of Self-exploration is necessary to be understood by a human being i.e the ultimate goal of
human existence. The method and process of Self Development starts with Self Exploration- ‗What you are ‗and ‗What you really want to be‘ and this better
can be explored by Value Education which is recognized as „Natural Acceptance‟ i.e the good is always naturally accepted to all human beings while the bad
one is never accepted by the inner conscience of all the human beings. This process of exploration through education is enhanced with the following
methods1- To make realization of Self-evolution through self – investigation. 2- To make one know oneself and the entire existence. 3- To make one recognize
one‘s relation with others. 4- To acquaint ethical human conduct and character. 5- To emphasis the importance of harmony in oneself and with others. 6- To
acquaint human being with freedom and self decision .

P. K. Jha
D. Human Aspirations and Value Education :Thus, essential requirements for fulfilling human aspirations are – Right understanding, Relationship and Physical
Facilities which are. Here we have gained some clarity about happiness and prosperity and the three basic requirements for fulfillment of human aspirations. Human
Aspirations and desires can be fulfilled with Right Understanding at all the levels of human existence. Each one of us thus can understand that we want to Understand
and be in harmony with our self. Understand and live in harmony in family. Understand and live in harmony in society. Understand and live in harmony in
Nature/Existence When we speak of the goal of human aspiration, basically it is universal one I.e ‗Continuous Happiness‟ and „Prosperity‟ .Value education imparts the
methods and process to human being for fulfilling basic Human Aspirations. To achieve human aspiration we should deeply study the needs of ‗I‘ and ‗Body‘. ‗I‘ aspire
for ‗Sukh‘ happiness and that is ensured by Right Understanding and right feeling while body aspires for Suvidha. But the interesting thing is that Body becomes the
instrument to achieve this human aspiration. For example If one is feeling hungry that is for the fulfillment of the hunger of ‗I‘ until our hands will not move to take the
food inside , our hunger cannot be satisfied. ‗I‘ has the power of ‗Pre- Conditioning‟ . We make the choice with the external world based on our imagination through
desire, thought and expectation. It tries to achieve the same by its activity through ‗Natural Acceptance‟ by Imaging Analyzing, Selecting. Now we see that there are
many activities in the ‗I‘. We will try to find out whether these activities are continuous or temporary. We find that we keep on imaging all the time. In the day time we
keep on imaging having desires and these desires even do not stop in the night. The activity of Selecting is also continuous. We expect something all the time and our
taste relating things goes on changing always. Therefore this selecting and tasting is also a continuous process.

E. MOTIVATION The basic goal of human aspiration is universally recognized i.e. ‗Continuous Happiness‟ and „Prosperity‟. Motivation is the core
factor that inspires human beings to strife for fulfilling their basic Aspirations. When one is deeply self motivated, he listens to the voice of his
conscience i.e Natural Acceptance, and understands the needs of ‗I‘ and ‗Body‘. The aspiration of ‗I‘ is ‗Sukh‘ Continuous Happiness that is
ensured by Right Understanding while body aspires for Prosperity ‗Suvidha‘ For example If one is feeling hungry that is for the fulfillment of the
hunger of ‗I‘ until our hands will not move to take the food inside , our hunger cannot be satisfied. ‗I‘ has the power of ‗PreConditioning‟. We
make the choice with the external world based on our imagination through desire, thought and expectation.

P. K. Jha
 Daily life as lab for the Course
For everyday situations in life. This course covers the widest possible canvas.
• It should be mentioned that frequently people assume that a course on Human Values teaches values. This
assumption is not correct. The course does not teach values but encourages students to discover what is
valuable for them. Accordingly, they should be able to discriminate between valuable and the superficial in real
situations in their daily life.

• The second goal of the course is to draw attention to the fact that discrimination leads to commitment. It is
not sufficient to develop the discrimination ability, it is important to act on such discrimination in a given
situation. Therefore, experiments or practical’s are important. The difference is that the laboratory is everyday
life, and practical’s are how you behave and work in it. One of the foci in the course is or needs to be on
observations which are mainly on the self, the other and relationships. Such observations and their analysis
would be shared and discussed in the group discussions. Faculty member’s role is in pointing to essential
elements to help in sorting them out from the surface elements (in pointing to the basic principles under which
incidents take place, so that different incidents can be understood and explained). The group discussions would
also provide support to a student in performing actions commensurate to his / her preferences born out of his/
her understanding. Hopefully, this would lead to development of “commitment” for behaving and working
based on one’s values.

P. K. Jha
 Chapter-2

Purpose of Education How human being has a need for Knowledge, what should be the
content of knowledge, how the content should be discussed in education. Complimentarily
of skills and values, how the current education system falls short.

P. K. Jha
 Purpose of Education
Basic function of education to help you to find out what you really love to do that you can give
whole mind and heart to it. Because that creates human dignity, that sweeps away mediocrity, the
pretty bourgeois mentality. That is why it is important to have right teachers. (From “What are you
doing with your life”- J Krishnamurti (p-161)).
Devine dwells in different personality with different minds (From “Introduction to the integral
YOGA”- Ashesh Joshi, P-64)
The training by which the current & expression of will are brought under control and became
fruitful is called education. True education may be described as a development of faculty, not an
accumulation of words, or as a training of individuals to will rightly & efficiently.
If you have assimilated five ideas and made them your life and character, you have more education
than any man who has got by heart a whole library.( Life and Philosophy of Swami vivekanand-G S
Banhatti, P-196)

P. K. Jha
Purpose of Education

values recognise as being more effective for long term well-being of self and others
Education in the true sense is helping the individual to be mature and free
The highest function of education is to bring about an integrated individual who is capable of dealing with life as a whole
It is very important while you are young to live in an environment in which there is no fear.
“The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts but of values”-William Ralph

Respect traditional values

Touching an older person's feet is not only a mark of respect but an acknowledgment of the wisdom/experience of the older
person
Value-education is the aggregate of all the process by means of which a person develops abilities, attitudes and other forms
of behaviour of the positive values in the society in which he lives
value education is "learning about self and wisdom of life" in a self-exploratory, systematic and scientific way through formal
education. Education is the aggregate of all the process by means of which a person develops abilities and other forms of
behaviour of the positive values in the society in which he lives.

15
How human being has a need for Knowledge
At a level higher than physical, the purpose of knowledge is to enable human being
to know himself. This is the reason why human beings seek knowledge, then
knowledge constitutes facts, perspectives, concepts, beliefs, judgments and
expectations, methodologies, and know-how and much more.
 how the content should be discussed in education

P. K. Jha
P. K. Jha
 Complimentarily of skills and values

P. K. Jha
 The three 21st Century literacy skills are:
1.Learning skills •Information literacy: Understanding facts, figures,
2.Literacy skills statistics, and data
3.Life skills •Media literacy: Understanding the methods and
outlets in which information is published
The 4 C's of 21st Century Skills are: •Technology literacy: Understanding the machines
•Critical thinking: Finding solutions to that make the Information Age possible
problems
•Creativity: Thinking outside the box
•Collaboration: Working with others
•Communication: Talking to others The five 21st Century life skills are:
•Flexibility: Deviating from plans as needed
•Leadership: Motivating a team to accomplish a goal
•Initiative: Starting projects, strategies, and plans on one’s
own
•Productivity: Maintaining efficiency in an age of
distractions
•Social skills: Meeting and networking with others for
mutual benefit
P. K. Jha
 Complimentarily of skills and values

Philippino national Value

MakaDiyos = pro-God
Makatao = pro-people
Makakalikasan = pro-nature
Makabansa = pro-country
When used in a normal context or simpler terms, these would mean:
MakaDiyos = Godly, believes in God, shows God-like qualities.
Makatao = people person, believes in people, good samaritan type.
Makakalikasan = nature-loving, cares for the environment.
Makabansa = patriotic, loves his country, loyal to the land of his birth.

P. K. Jha
Current traditional system should turned into Progressive system of Education
Our Present education system is DIKR- Direct Instruction Knowledge Rich System.

Every human being is born an heir to an inheritance of human achievements, through education is the only way of becoming
a human being. Not to inhabit it is less than human being( Michael Oakeshott)-(From Future of teaching- Guy Claxton)
Sr. Traditional System of Education Progressive System of Education
No.
1 Emphasis on Knowledge On whole personality Development
2 Motivated by Grades/Rewards/ Motivated by intrinsic love of learning
Punishments
3 Character-Good Behaviour Character-By intrinsic love of learning

4 Focus on- Achievement Focus on- Development

5 Time to Practise Skill Time to experiment & Investigate

6 Teaching by informing & Teaching encourages Grappling &
Explaining Thinking
7 Learning is memorising Learning is exploring
P. K. Jha
 Chapter-3

Peers Pressure, Social Pressure In various dimensions of life, how do these things work. What
is the way out? In the context of education, peer pressure etc. movie ―Taare Zameen Par‖
can be used.

P. K. Jha
 Peer Pressure
Pressure Related to Appearance :-The following scenario may be used to start a discussion on the topic.

Scenario 1: You are wearing plain clothes but pleasantly dressed, and going to a party. Before entering the hall you could peep in and
find that everybody else is wearing expensive/stylish clothes. What would you do? Leave the place before anyone notices you, or walk
in as usual without a concern?

Issues/Questions:

• Do you identify yourself (i.e. do you associate respect) with your clothes?

• Are clothes the most important part of you?

• Do you look at yourself based on others perception of you?

Asymmetric Situation :-In Scenario-1, consider you are wearing expensive/stylish clothes and others are wearing plain clothes. Would
you act differently in this case?

Cultural issue: In Scenario-1, consider, instead of plain clothes vs. expensive clothes, the situation is between kurta-pyjama vs. coat-
pant, or sari vs. slacks-jeans. What would be your action?

Valuable/Costly gadgets :-Scenario 2: Your friends are using valuable/costly gadgets like mobile, laptop etc. which your family cannot
afford for you. Issues/Questions: Do you feel internal pressure that they are different class of people than you? Do you feel hesitation
in making friendship and behave normally with them?

Latest Model Gadgets:- In Scenario-2, if the issue is of latest model having attractive outward look, what would your feeling be?

P. K. Jha
 Peer pressure
Peer pressure can be experienced through both face-to-face interaction and through
digital interaction. Social media offers opportunities for adolescents and adults alike
to instill and/or experience pressure every day.
1.Adolescence is the time when a person is most susceptible to peer pressure
because peers become an important influence on behavior during adolescence, and
peer pressure has been called a hallmark of adolescent experience.
2.Peer pressure is commonly associated with episodes of adolescent risk taking
because these activities commonly occur in the company of peers.
3. Gender also has a clear effect on the amount of peer pressure an adolescent
experiences: girls report significantly higher pressures to conform to their groups [15] in
the form of clothing choices or speech patterns.

P. K. Jha
 Peer pressure
• Gormly (2018):- states that peer pressure can transform a perfectly reasonable kid into class-
cutting, disrespectful, problem kid. .
• Kadir, Atmowasdoyo &Salija (2018) :-studies show that student boost their anxiety especially
pertaining to their education because the influence of peer groups. A sad fact most parents prefer
not to hear is that the most influential individuals in their teen’s life are their friends.
• Damm (2018):- peer pressure is something that can make a considerably greater impediment in the
lives of every individual. It can lead a person to have depression, anxiety, and a huge amount of
stress. The feeling of not fitting in and not being good enough in a“group” overpowers and assumes
control over the mentality of a regular teen. Friends and peers really do have a great impact on
anyone’s life. Deciding to have positive people around you can help in making peer pressure
experiences positive instead of negative. It can likewise transform into strong habits that can make
others want to follow you. Regardless of whether it is a positive thing, focusing on oneself is very
important. Following and yielding to others can cause someone to feel alone, controlled, and
caught. This example can be profoundly dangerous and can result into true unhappiness.
Everything relies upon a person's own commitment and choices.

P. K. Jha
 Chapter-3

P. K. Jha
 Chapter-3

P. K. Jha
 Peer pressure

P. K. Jha
 Chapter-3

P. K. Jha
P. K. Jha
P. K. Jha
 Chapter-3

P. K. Jha
 Chapter-3

P. K. Jha
 Peer pressure

P. K. Jha
 Peer pressure

P. K. Jha
 Peer pressure

P. K. Jha
 Chapter-4

Concept of Competition and Excellence How competition leads to degradation of self and
relationships. How excellence is the basic need of a human being. What is excellence? Movie
―Fearless‖ can be used to discuss the concept.

P. K. Jha
 Concept of Competition

The whole of civilization, not only in India but in the rest of the world, is geared to
competition, to success, to achievement. There is everlasting competition not only in the
class room of a school/college but also in daily life. You coax the child, goad him, encourage
him to compete, to succeed, to arrive at a certain intellectual level. You are worshippers of
level.
There is this everlasting struggle to climb, to compare at all levels of our being.
Do you think it is the right way of existence?
You help the student to create a new quality of mind in which the monstrosity of
competition has no part. (from “On education” – J. Krishnamurty P-103)

P. K. Jha
 The Negative Effects of Competition

Negative competition can result in lower self-esteem. It can also significantly impact our relationships
with family members, loved ones, friends, and even colleagues. This can then lead to anxiety,
judgment, anger, loneliness, and stress.
It is crucial to transform our negative comparisons so that we can grow, learn, and accept ourselves.
But how do we do that?
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to “win” whatever “games” we play in life. The problem is that due
to our insecurity, we often focus on beating others or think that other people’s success, talent, or even
their happiness has something to do with us.
In other words, we often root against the fulfillment of other people, so we can feel better about
ourselves or try to show others up and dominate them as a way to feel superior. While these
tendencies are normal and natural, they are also counter-productive, stressful, and ultimately harmful.

P. K. Jha
P. K. Jha
 Comparison between competition and excellence

Sr. Issue Competition Excellence

1 Compare Compare with others Compare with yourself
2 Goal Do better than others To do the task well
(relative) (absolute)
3 Example Q: How many people can How many people can get
come first? 100 out of 100 marks?
4 Evaluation: Rank in group Task specific performance
5 Inner State: Tension, jealousy Persevering
(while doing)
6 Inner state: Dejection, elation Satisfaction
(on completion (Elation is short lived
unless we like the task

P. K. Jha
 Some Points for Discussion

• Goal: Activity vs result of activity. Example:

– Walking in the morning (activity as goal).

– Walking to reach somewhere (result as goal).

• If we have a liking for the activity or see its relevance, then we can do it for a long time without being ‘burnt out’.

– Q: Working for JEE and admission to IIT, do we get burnt out?

• Q. (student): But admission into IIT is through competition? Are you saying we should have gone for excellence?

– Now that you are already admitted, at least now, work for excellence.

• Student say we have to have competition to change branch Tell students, we do not have control over society and
processes, so

– We do not say do not participate in competition– it is upto them – But have high goals (and find your talents and
interests)

– Most importantly, if you do not limit yourself to the competition and take care of the larger vision, you would do
well in life and be satisfied.

P. K. Jha
 Some Points for Discussion
• Q. (student): Why are there so few opportunities? Isn’t life like that?

– We will try to answer this later in the course.

– When we build ‘wrong’ systems in society and people do not understand their intrinsic talents, we breed
competition and strife, unnecessarily.

• Students discuss around better marks-Ex. How to go from 80 to 100 marks

– But they are thinking of excellence within the boxed boundary of exams and marks?

– Get them to break it and come out.

– Take them towards: How deep is their understanding of the subject?

• What excellence means? Isn’t competition necessary to achieve excellence?

– How many scientists/engineers who discovered/invented something, did it because they were competing vs trying
to solve a (difficult) problem?

– Give an example from our own life.

P. K. Jha
 Some Points for Discussion
• Put your passion in trying to excel in your chosen areas. But do pass in all subjects! Some examples:

–Ex. In 3rd year B.Tech (in early 1970s in the then 5-year B.Tech.), a student at IITK got 92/100 marks in Fluid
Mechanics, the rest of the class was below 34/100, because he loved the subject and was very good at it. Permitted
to change branch from EE to Chem Engg. even in his 3rd year as a special case by Senate. (He later went on to do a
PhD and became a faculty member.)

–Ex. Although, a student at IIIT Hyderabad who was second last from bottom in grades during his B.Tech, he was the
best computer systems expert. If any student had a problem with his computer system, he/she went to him seeking
help. His talent was recognized, got an extremely good job. Of course, although he was second last, he did not fail in
any subject.

– Ex. IITK allowed change in branch from B.Tech. EE to 5-year integrated Masters degree (IMD MSc) in Physics to a 3rd
year student, even when IMD MSc Physics had just admitted 1st year students to it. In other words, there were no
students in the senior years in the program.

– Ex. Cambridge University – Ramanujan was admitted even when he was class XII pass. The University believed in
Prof Hardy, who put his reputation at stake, to get Ramanujan admitted. Rest is history, as he is now known as the
man who knew infinity.

P. K. Jha
 Some Points for Discussion
• How do we select our areas of interest in which our talent lies?

– Everyone of us has some talents. We need to build and develop those.

– Ex. This building – how has it reached its height? Thru support on pillars! Develop and build on your talents or
pillars. But need to identify those.

• To cover excellence properly, the following points may be noted:

– One must be excellent in a chosen area/task.

– Must also be able to do the associated tasks/areas.

– Being excellent in one area is not enough. One must learn basics of other areas as well.

– Ex. Rabbit should try to learn basics of swimming in water, just as the Tortoise who is a master in water, knows
walking on land, albeit slowly.

P. K. Jha
 Chapter-5

Time Management: How does one deal with myriads of activities in college? Focus of the
mind.

P. K. Jha
 Time Management

P. K. Jha
 Time Management

P. K. Jha
 Time Management

P. K. Jha
 How does one deal with myriads of activities in college

P. K. Jha
 How does one deal with myriads of activities in college

P. K. Jha
 How does one deal with myriads of activities in college

P. K. Jha
 Focus of the mind.

P. K. Jha
 Focus of the mind.

P. K. Jha